Our Little Secret
by LoveIsAlwaysLouder
Summary: In a small town like Mystic Falls, everyone knows everyone's business. The Forbes and the Mikaelson have been in a very public feud for over a hundred years. Klaus and Caroline had been told their whole lives to stay away from each other, but love drew them together. Now they share their own secret and no one can know.
1. It happened one (summer) night

Our little secret Chapter 1: It happened one (summer) night.

Since the civil war mystic falls had been run by the same core powerful families. The Mikelsons, Forbes, Gilbert's, Salvatores and Lockwood's, owned every inch of land and every business front for miles around. All the cards fell to these five families and with it all the power. With power came jealousy and with jealousy came conflict. There was never a moment in the town's history that one family was not at war with another, battling over land and money. The conflict that stood out most in the history books was the endless silent war between the Forbes and Mikelsons. For decades the families brushed along beside each other, pretending to be cordial, but everyone knew the truth.

Caroline Forbes had grown up in the centre of this conflict. She had remembered the third grade when she hadn't been allowed to go to Elena and Katherine gilbert's birthday party, or the seventh grade when she had had to run back and forth between Damon Salvatore and Tyler Lockwood passing messages because the boy's parents had asked them not to speak to each other. These phases always passed once the deals were closed or the land was sold, but the conflict between Caroline Forbes parents the and Mickelson family was endless. It was impossible for their parents to keep their kids away from each other while at school. They were in the same classes and played on the same tiny tots soccer teams, but never were they allowed to be true friends. When Caroline would tell her parents stories about what happened at school that day she was careful to exclude any of the Mikelson children from her tales.

Before high school could begin the Mikelsons family relocated back to Esther's home town in England and Caroline thought that would be the end of it. Until that summer.

….

Klaus hadn't been pleased with the idea of moving back to America, especially not right before his senior year, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Both of his older brothers were attending university in the states and his father had been anxious to return to mystic falls to see to his business ventures there. They had never sold their grand manor house in virginia, and it hadn't taken long for his mother to unpack everything right back in its exact place that it had been before. Suddenly it was as if he was twelve years old again, stepping back in time.

"Nik!" rebekah was poking her head into her brothers room, hissing his name.

" I'm trying to sleep here" he groaned pushing his face into his pillows. Rebekah flounced into his room and plopped down on his bed.

" Oh please it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon you're not that jet lagged. Get up i want to go out." Nik turned over and sat up grumbling.

" And where exactly would you like to go?"

" Do you remember Stefan Salvatore? What am i saying of course you do. Because i ran into him an hour ago downtown and he told me that the lockwood boy is having a party at the reservoir on his property, and he said we should come. So we should go." He rolled his eye's

" Bekhs i don't think you need me to escort you to party so you can hang around drooling over Stefan Salvatore all night." She smacked his leg over the covers.

" Jesus Rebekah!" She huffed exasperated.

" Come on Nik i can't go alone!"

" Why you don't bring Kol then?" She rolled her eyes

" Kol is coming, but i can't just show up with my little brother."

" But adding your older brother to the mix helps so much?"

" Just get up already.. We're supposed to be there at four."

….

At four o'clock the three mikelsons road up to the large body of water at the back of the Lockwood family property. There must've been a hundred people there, splashing around in the murky water, or hanging around coolers of beer.

Rebekah was off in a flash and before Klaus had even entered the party his sister had a drink in her hands and was deep in conversation with a large group of people. Kol sauntered off towards a pretty dark haired girl sitting on the tailgate of a parked pickup truck. Klaus was about to head over to one of the many coolers and snatch a beer when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Well as i live and breathe. Klaus Mikelson." Nik turned around and found himself face to face with his old friend Damon Salvatore, grinning at him with two beers in his hands. He passed one to Klaus.

" Nice to see you mate." He said happily taking the beer from his hand. Suddenly a tall, thin, brown haired girl was running up behind damon and had jumped on his back.

" Katherine I told you! Not in public where Elena might see!" he joked hoisting her up higher onto his back.

" Oh very funny!" Elena Gilbert look up then recognizing the boy in front of her, she smiled.

" Klaus? I thought i saw your sister somewhere! I didn't know you guys were back!" Her smiled at her.

"Elena. This is a rather different sight than the past. When i left two were shoving dirt all over the others face and trying to make voodoo dolls of each other." Elena laughed, slipping down off Damon's back and letting him drape an arm around her.

" It took a while, but she finally warmed up to me." Damon said,,squeezing her against his side. Klaus glanced around and his eye's caught on someone across the party.

" Damon?" He said still watching the girl chatting happily with a friend.

" Yeah?"

" Who's that girl over there?' He asked gesturing with his head. Elena leaned over and peeked around Klaus to see what he was talking about.

" You don't recognize Caroline?" She asked, catching her eye and shooting her a smile and a small wave. He faced Damon and Elena again,

" That's Caroline Forbes?" Damon nodded.

"A lot can change from the 7th to the 12th grade my friend." Elena jabbed him hard in the ribs with her elbow.

" Ouch? Elena!" She smiled smugly but placed her hand on Damon's stomach.

" Be careful there Klaus. Wouldn't your family burn you at the stake just for looking at her?" Klaus raised his beer to his lips,

" I guess we'll find out."

…

It was nearly an hour later, and the sun had sunk far into the sky. The strings of lights in the tree's above were all lit and shining. Klaus noticed that Caroline had broken apart from her friend group and heading over to one of the coolers. Klaus walked over to her.

"Caroline Forbes." she twisted around to face him not recognizing his voice right away.

"Niklaus Mikaelson." her voice was rather musical and when she smiled at him it was as if the sun had come out again.

" Wow, my full name. I just be in trouble." she laughed bringing her freshly cracked beer to her lips.

" Technically we're both in trouble just to speaking to each other." Klaus rolled his eye's laughing along with her.

" Well i won't tell if you don't" She smiled mischievously and put out her hand to shake his.

" Then we have a deal."

…..

They made laps around the party together as Caroline pointed out all the people that they used to go to elementary school with.

" There's Matt Donovan, over there with Sloan, and that's Bonnie Bennett with"

" my brothers tongue in her mouth." Klaus finished slightly horrified and slightly amused.

" Oh my god." Caroline whispered grabbing onto his arm in shock.

" That's Kol? "

" I'm afraid so."

…..

After both knocking back several more beers, Caroline whispered embarrassingly that she needed to pee. They ventured farther into the woods, Klaus took Caroline's hand in an attempt to help her navigate through the heavy wooded area, but they had both indulged in so many drinks that at this point it was the blind leading the blind. They stumbled and laughed and joked until the lights of the party were in the distance. Caroline stumbled into Klaus's side and he wrapped his arms around her waist in an effort to keep them both standing.

Staring up into Klaus's face Caroline couldn't remember what they had come into the woods for, and at this point she didn't care.

" You're hands are on my waist." she whispered as they continued to look into each other's eye's.

" They are." He whispered as he moved his hands along her waistline

" They probably shouldn't be" but even as she spoke her hands were running up his chest and came to rest on the back of his neck. She could feel the wisps of his tiny curls against her fingers.

" I know" he said slowly leaning in closer.

" If somebody saw us.." but she lost her train of thought, because all she could look at or think about was how close his lips were to hers.

" I mean were pretty out in the open." He stated backing her against the trunk of a nearby tree.

"These hundreds of tree's don't provide much cover." She laughed in spite of herself. She ducked her head onto his shoulder and laughed lightly.

" Caroline" she lifted her head off his shoulder and looked into his eye's, now unsure he started to lean backwards and loosen his grip on her waist. Caroline removed her hands from the back of his neck but grabbed hold of his shirt. Klaus leaned forward again as their lips collided together. His hands held tight to her waist as her fingers tangled into his hair.

"NIk!" They jumped apart at the sound of his sister's voice ripping through the silence. She was on the outskirts of the party shouting into the woods.

" Wait a minute" he whispered. " She'll give up as soon as she's out of breath." Rebekah's voice faded away as she moved away from the woods edge. Even after she was gone the spell had been broken. For a moment they hadn't been a Forbes and a Mikelson, they had just been Klaus and Caroline. Two kids, at a party with a spark.

" I should probably get back." Klaus nodded and Caroline turned to head back towards the lights of the party.

"Goodnight Caroline Forbes" he called after her, she turned and smiled at him, a glint in her eye

" Goodnight, Nik." and in that moment he wondered if maybe someday soon they could be more to each other then just their last names.


	2. Family ties

Chapter 2: Family Ties

" So where did you disappear to last night?" Klaus's sister had once again barged into his bedroom and had collapsed down on his bed, staring him down.

" No where. I just went for a walk." He turned over in bed so he was no longer facing her.

" With?' Rebekah pushed on.

" No one Beks. I just wanted to get away from the noise." He flipped back over again to stare at her,

"Why aren't you off bombarding Kol. He's the one who was fornicating in front of a hundred people." Rebekah sighed heavily.

" I already tried. His door is locked."

" The doors lock? How did i not know this?" Rebekah rolled her eye's.

" Never you mind. Do you know who it was? With Kol last night? I never got a good look at her face."

" Bonnie Bennett." Klaus answered yawning loudly through his words.

" No! Bonnie? Oh that's rich. I remember her tearing him apart in the second grade about a dodge ball game. He was frightened of women for a good while after that. He wouldn't talk to any girl for weeks. Myself and mother included. " Klaus sat up and stretched.

" Yes, well they've clearly moved past it now." Rebekah laughed to herself.

" Could you imagine mother's face if he brought her home?" Klaus rolled his eye's.

" Kol could come home with the queen of England and it still wouldn't be enough for mother." Rebekah tilted her head to the side considering what he hand said.

"Tragic , yet very true." Knowing that his sister wasn't going to leave any time soon he continued into their conversation.

" So, how was stalking Stefan Salvatore?" Rebekah let out another large huff.

" That was a bust. I feel like i had romanticized him in my head from elementary school, but i don't think it's a good fit."

"What a shame." Rebekah brought her leg up and kicked up over the covers.

" Anyone i'm completely convinced that he's in love with his brothers girlfriend which is just entirely too awkward for me to get involved in."

"Isn't Elena Gilbert a twin? Can't he just settle for the other one." Hiis sister rolled her eyes at him exasperated.

" You're a true romantic Nik. Really, it's astounding. You'll make some unfortunate girl terribly unhappy someday." She quipped at him in her sarcastic tone.

" So are you entirely crushed over Stefan? Did you come in here for a good cry?"

" For your information, i think i've uncovered another suitor." she stated smugly.

"Really? And who would that be?"

" Do you remember that boy, the really rough cut, all american, football type. Matt?" Klaus sighed again.

"I should have known."

… _.._

Klaus and his siblings gathered down stairs some time later to join their mother at the breakfast table. Esther was sitting at the head of the long oak table, sipping at her piping hot coffee out of the delicate china cups. They all tucked into their breakfast plates in silence.

"So." Their mother began.

" How was your party, or get together, or whatever it was."

"There was a party!" Henrik exclaimed looking horrified at being left out.

" Why didn't i get to go?" he demanded as his face turning bright red.

" Because" Kol began, " you're an infant, and it was far past your bedtime." Henrik let out an angry huff and began to attack the food on his plate. Stabbing at his eggs with far more force than would be necessary.

" Did you have fun?" Their mother pressed on.

" Kol did." Rebekah stated casually with a smirk on her face. Kol aimed a kick at her under the table, but missed and caught Klaus in the shin.

" Ouch!" Esther and Nik glared at the second youngest brother who leaned back in his chair innocently.

"Who was all there?" Esther asked trying to defuse the tension between her children.

"All the same people from before. It was really one big seventh grade grade birthday party reunion." Klaus stated. His mother nodded and continued on.

" So the lockwood boy hosted, so then the Salvatore boys would have there, and the Gilbert girls and the boy what was his name? Jarred?"

" Jeremy." Rebekah corrected, taking a bite of her eggs. Kol who had a need to stir up trouble any chance he got had a mischievous look on his face.

"Caroline Forbes was there as well." Kol stated, watching with amusement as his mother's body tensed up.

" I think i saw Nik talking to her actually." Kol smirked at his older brother pointing his fork at him his eye's on fire with the show he had just orchestrated for himself to watch. Klaus could feel his mother's eye's burning a hole in the side of his head. he swallowed before speaking.

"I did speak to her in passing. Just to be polite." He defended himself to his mother. Kol spoke up again.

"Really? Because i could have swore i saw you going into the woods with her." Nik was about to snap back when his sister came to his aid.

" We'll it must have been someone else. Because Nik was with me." Rebekah sneered.

" Besides i'm surprised you could see anything with your tongue shoved so far down-" this time when Kol aimed a kick under the table he caught his intended target." Rebekah yelped with pain.

" Oh lord" Esther said sighing heavily.

" I don't think i even want to know."

… _.._

Klaus had just gotten dressed out of the shower when his sister barged into his room once again. She shut the door tightly behind her and leaned back against it, as if to block his access out of the room.

" Was what Kol said true?" she demanded.

" What are you talking about rebekah?" she rolled her eyes at him.

" Don't play dumb with me Nik. Caroline. What happened?" For what seemed like the millionth time that morning he let out another sigh.

" I don't know what you want me to say here beks."

" Look Nik, it's your life and you can do what you want, But before you start down the Caroline Forbes road you should consider what that's going to mean. Not just for you. but for her, and this family. Kol's the one who makes waves and we handle it, but this could be a tsunami."

…

Klaus left the house later that day trying to shake off what his sister had said before. Rebekah was just being a drama queen as usual he was sure of it. It wasn't as if he was planning to propose to Caroline. They were drunk, and at a party, in the woods, it was nothing. But would it really be that bad if it was something? Their families hadn't spoken in years, maybe the hostility would have settled?

He was in the small downtown core of Mystic Falls. He had wandered around, staring up at the store fronts and noticing how they had changed since his childhood. He pulled open the heavy old doors of the large historic library and entered. He could see every spec of dust flying through the air as it floated through the rays of sunlight that flooded in through the tall windows. He approached the front desk and renewed the library card he had gotten in the 3rd grade. He wandered around the dusty shelves and ran his fingers along the faded spines of the books.

As he approached the back corner of the Library he noticed someone else leafing through the shelves. He rounded the corner and saw Caroline Forbes flipping through the pages of a heavy leather bound book. He smirked to himself and shook his head as he approached her.

" So is this our thing? Meeting in dark secluded corners surrounded by tree's" She looked up at him slightly startled and then cracked a smile.

"Trees?" She questioned him, leaning against the shelves.

"Well," be began stepping forward.

" Were in library surrounded by books, and books are made of paper, and paper comes from tree's. I mean the dots practically connect themselves." Her chest shook with laughter. Then realized she was making too much noise, lowered her voice while she spoke

" I'll give you points for creativity."

" Did you just remember that we're in a library or are you afraid that our fathers have hidden spy cameras around town?" She rolled her eyes at him playfully while slowly backing away.

" I'd call you ridiculous, but knowing my father i wouldn't put it past him" She smiled genuinely at him and turned to leave.

" I guess it's a good thing there's no cameras in the woods then." She whipped around, scandalized. He shot her a grin and despite herself she couldn't help but smile back.


	3. Love Library

Chapter 3: Love Library

Usually by August Caroline found herself hating summer. She could only take so much hanging around the house, ducking around her mother and finding any way to avoid the heat. The parties were always the same, the same places with the same people. She found the whole thing rather boring actually, but she still attended. Because what else was she supposed to do in this town? Despite herself she almost hadn't attended the party at the Lockwoods that night. She still felt awkward around Tyler after he had asked her out a few months previous. Tyler was a nice enough guy, and sure he was attractive and wealthy but Caroline had heard far too many nasty things about him and girls to want to get into anything with him. Her friend's had convinced her to attend and then promptly ditched her moments after they had arrived. She should have expected it. Elena was too busy being annoyingly coupled up with Damon, and Bonnie was more focused on finding a rebound from her failed relationship with Elena and Katherine's baby brother Jeremy then hanging out with Caroline.

She had wondered around the party, chatting casually with some of her more casual friends from school and as she wandered off to find another drink she couldn't help but think she might have a better time if she just walked home. The party was turning out to be a bust just like she had expected, until she'd heard an unfamiliar voice speak her name behind her. Klaus.

Caroline had followed her parents rules her whole life. She sat up straight at the dinner table, only spoke when spoken to when around her parents friends, and steered clear of the people her parents had deemed unfit. Talking to Klaus Mikaelson was definitely against her parents rules, but that night she felt like breaking them and she broke them. In a big way.

She had thought that would be the end of her rebellious streak, but he had shown up again the next day. She had spent all morning in the library. The building may be old, dusty and have no central AC but it was one of Caroline's favourite places in all of Mystic Falls. She had been wondering around the classic section when out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure round the corner into that same section of shelves. Her heart leapt when she saw who it was, and she immediately scolded herself for it.

She had played it off, acting nonchalant and leaning against the cool wood of the shelfs to her left. He had moved forward as he spoke and she could feel her breath catching in her throat as he moved ever closer. Caroline could feel heat creeping up the back of her neck as she took a step back.

Klaus had joked with her and she felt the tightness in her chest release a tad. He had a way about him that put her at ease, even if being in his very presence could get her in hot water with her family.

She shook her head as she exited the library that day. Nik knew how to push her buttons while simultaneously making fun of himself. Their mutual distaste for their parents absurd behaviour was even ground to walk on.

Caroline had been surprised however, when she pushed open the heavy doors to the library the next day and found Nik in the back corner she usually occupied, lounging in the ancient wooden chair with his feet up on the refurbished oak dining table in front of him. Driven more by shock then confidence Caroline marched over to the table and narrowed her eye's cunningly at him. Klaus looked up at her smirking, reading the same book Caroline had had in her hands the day before. They held their locked gaze for several moments before he gestured to the chair across . from him an amused look on his face waiting to see her next move. She accepted his challenge, pulling a random book off the nearby shelf and sitting down across from him. Opening her book and beginning to read without saying a word.

…..

"Morning." Klaus stated to his sister grabbing a piece of toast off Rebekah's plate and heading for the front door.

"And where are you off to at" she glanced over at the clock on their kitchen stove,

"9 o'clock on a saturday morning." Nik rolled his eyes, searching his pockets for his keys.

"It's the summer Beks. It really doesn't matter what day of the week it is." Rebekah let out a huff.

" Don't avoid the question." He laughed.

"I'm just going to the library. Nothing exciting. Nothing you'd be interested in." Rebekah's eye's narrowed.

"Again? What's with the sudden interest?" Klaus pulled open the door and took a step out the door before turning back to look at his sister.

"Maybe i just like books." He stated, closing the door behind him.

On any given day both Caroline and Klaus could be found in the back most left corner of the Mystic Falls public library, of course no one knew to look for them there. The stand alone fan blew mildly cool air their direction as they sat huddled at their back table. Caroline would spend most of the late morning reading quietly, and sometimes Klaus joined in burying his nose in whatever book Caroline had read the day before, exclaiming at certain points which made Caroline laugh, commenting on how she had felt the same frustration, anger, or joy at the same part. But for the most part Nik sat quietly across from her, leaning over his sketchbook and lovingly inking in or sketching his latest work. On several occasions Caroline had peeked up over the top of her book and tried to catch a glimpse of what exactly Klaus was drawing. She wasn't very sneaky however, and Klaus always managed to angle his book away before she could get a good look, smirking up at her.

…...

It was mid August and Caroline and Klaus had abandoned their usual table in the back for the cool hardwood floor of the mystery section. Klaus was leaning against one of the heavy wooden shelves and Caroline the other on the opposite side. His long legs stretched so far across the aisle that his feet could rest against her thighs if he let them. Caroline's feet, which barely reached his knees were crossed purposefully at her ankles. They were careful most days not to touch, but in those accidental moments when their skin did come in contact a spark spread across their bodies. There were always slip ups. Their feet may brush under the table, when they would exit the library in late afternoon through the back door where no one could see them together there fingers would graze across each other as their arms swung on the way to their prospective cars.

One such slip up happened that day. They had lost track of time that day and had hung around in the library far longer than intended. Klaus's father was arriving from the airport after a business trip and he knew that if he wasn't home when his father got there he would have hell to pay. Caroline was supposed to be meeting Bonnie and Elena and she would have no good excuse for being late. As they rushed out the back door their arms became tangled, and despite knowing he'd be late Nik grabbed her hand instead of letting go.

While Nik looked into her face, Caroline stared down at their intertwined fingers and then after a few moments she met his gaze.

"I run on Fairway trails behind Fell's church in the mornings." She pulled her hand away and dashed towards her car. Klaus turned the opposite direction towards his vehicle and smirked at the silent invitation.


	4. Beneath the Leafs

Chapter 4: Beneath the Leafs

Caroline could not believe that this was happening….again. She and Nik were hooking up in the woods…..again. She couldn't even use the excuse that she was drunk this time. It was just past seven am that morning on Fairway trails in the woods behind Fells church. When she had arrived at her usual running spot she wasn't sure if Klaus would actually show up. When he did show his face at the trail's entrance she wasn't sure if she had been more surprised or relieved. Surprised that he would get up at such an early hour to meet her, relieved that she wasn't making this all up in her head. She had thought they would go for a run, the same way she usually would alone. Maybe they'd walk part of the loop and talk. Talk the way they couldn't at the library. Talk openly without the fear that someone would hear them. She certainly hadn't expected what had happened next.

" You know," Caroline began, hardly able to focus due to the feeling of Klaus's lips on her neck.

"When i told you i was running here this morning isn't exactly what i thought would happen". Klaus's lips formed a smile against her neck as he kissed his way up her jaw and finally returned to her lips.

"Really? Because this is exactly what i figured would go down." Klaus joked as he continued to kiss her. He pulled away and brushed Caroline's hair away from her face, and letting his fingers run lightly through her blonde hair.

" I mean you basically propositioned me." He stated, moving forward to kiss her dodged his lips, and pushed back against his shoulders and glared up at him. He moved his hand to her waist and smirked down at her amused at the scandalized look on Caroline's face.

" I did not!" she said removing her hands from his shoulders and folding her arms across her chest.

"Really? You asked me to meet you in the early hours of the morning, on a secluded trail on the edge of town, surrounded by trees which you know-." He began stepping closer to her so their stomachs were pressed together and he removed one of his hands from around her waist and pressed it against the side of her neck again

'Is our thing." Caroline sighed and tried to ignore the tingling feeling in her stomach.

"For the last time. This isn't our thing. We do not have a thing. We are not a thing." Klaus smirked at her and pressed her farther back against a nearby tree.

"Really?" Nik began leaning his face closer to hers until their lips were nearly touching.

"We aren't a thing?" He asked, his eyes staring intensely into her own. She looked away trying to break the tension but found her eye's drawn to his lips and just how close they were to own. She came to her senses and brought her hands up to cover her face.

"The point is that we can't be a thing. Whatever this is… It can't become a thing." Caroline stated intertwining her fingers in her hair in frustration. Klaus let out a laugh.

" How many times do you think we've said the word 'thing' in the past thirty seconds' Nik joked. Caroline rolled her eyes and pushed against Klaus's shoulders. She couldn't help but crack a smile as she looked up at him.

" It's just that if somebody, or really anybody found out that we'd been.." Caroline's words faded off as Nik leaned in and pressed his lips close to her right ear.

"That we'd been what? Hanging out? Hooking up? Or that just a few minutes ago my hand was.' Caroline tensed up and cut off his words.

" and we REALLY don't need to talk about where your hand was." Klaus laughed again, pulling back to look into Caroline's eyes.

"Caroline-" Klaus began but she rolled her eye's at cut him off.

"Don't Caroline me. Don't just say my name and bat your eye lashes and act like what we're doing isn't wrong." Klaus continued to laugh.

"And what's so wrong about it?" He asked as Caroline huffed out a breath.

" Does anyone know that you're here right now? With me? I already know the answer, it's no. Because no one can know that we're even speaking. Because if they did know they would tell our parents because no one in this town can keep a secert to save their life. Everyone knows everything about everyone." Klaus smirked at her.

"Take a breath would you.' He joked as Caroline frowned at him.

"I'm being serious Nik." Caroline exclaimed her anger growing at the amused look on his face.

"So am i Caroline, look." He took both of her hands in his and continued to look into her eyes.

" Do you like being around me?" Caroline broke her gaze with him and looked down at her shoes and then looked up at him and smiled smally.

" I like you Caroline." Nik said looking at her seriously.

" and you don't have to say it but I know that you like me too, and I don't want to stop seeing you." he stated.

"But how can we.." Caroline began but her words faded out as Klaus began to speak again.

"Look we'll be going to the same school, and no one can stop us from speaking there. We know the same people, so we'll be going to the same parties and doing the same things, doing normal teenage things with other normal teenagers. But our parents don't need to know that we're doing them with each other."  
Caroline laughed as she smiled at him.

" What like sneak around." Klaus moved closer to her again and wrapped his arms around her.

" Yeah, like sneak around." he stated smiling. She laughed again as she intertwined her fingers behind Niks neck.

"It could be kind of fun." Klaus said playfully leaning down to kiss her neck again. Caroline closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree.

" yeah...fun" Caroline joked as Klaus moved to kiss her lips as she sighed into his kiss.

…

Klaus collapsed down on his bed later that morning. He had just finished showering after his 'run' with Caroline and he couldn't help but smile up at the ceiling as he laid there. August was coming to a close and school would be starting the following week. Generally Klaus dreaded going back to school. He had attended a private preparatory school in england and he had despised the confines of his uniforms tie and the strict teachers who reprimanded him at every turn. The public school in mystic falls was sure to be far less intense, and he looked forward to seeing Caroline everyday without having to sneak around.

His bedroom door flung open and Klaus didn't have to sit up to know who was standing in his doorway.

"Can i help you?" He asked his sister who had walked to his bed and was now standing over him.

"I'm bored." She stated folding her arms against her chest.

" And what exactly would you like me to do about that." he grumbled sitting up as Rebekah flopped down on his bed.

"I don't know. If i knew what i wanted to do or what i wanted you to do i wouldn't be bored would I? No." Rebekah sighed heavily as her brother began to speak.

"Well if you-" But then he noticed the look on his sister's face and the way her eye's were narrowing.

"What's that?" Bekah demanded pointing to the purple blotch on his lower neck that his t shirt didn't quite cover. She poked the bruise before Nik swatted her hand way.

" You know i ran into a tree." He stated nodding his head and hoping his voice sounded normal and convincing.

"A tree?" Rebekah questioned him.

" Yeah, a tree branch actually. I was running, it was it hanging out over the path and i didn't see it and it just hit me." Klaus clarified.

His sister was still glaring at him knowingly so he sprung up and headed towards the door.

"Nik i swear to god if this is about-" Klaus cut his sister off.

" You know i think i hear Henrick calling. I should go… check on him. He may have gotten his head stuck in the banister again." He dashed out of the room leaving his sister sitting on his bed fuming over his brothers mistakes.


	5. First day

Chapter 5: First day

September had arrived in the blink of an eye. Labour day weekend saw another pond party on the Lockwood property which also lead to Klaus and Caroline hooking up in the woods again. Nik had been more careful that time. He spent the first half of the party drinking casually his his friends, far away from Caroline and in full sight of his sister. Once Rebekah had consumed a few drinks and was happily chatting to the latest object of her affection, Nik informed his sister that he was heading home. She waved him off, and returned her full attention to Matt. Then Nik was free to sneak off into the woods to meet up with Caroline. Once the fireworks began to go off they took that as their que that it was safe to exit the woods. Klaus insisted on walking her home, even if it meant that his siblings would make it home before him, forcing an awkward conversation. Klaus and Caroline walked the back roads to her house, hoping that the cover of darkness would prevent anyone of noticing that they were holding hands. By the time they reached the Forbes house, a massive white colonial with navy shutters on either side of each window, the moon had risen so high in the sky that it was almost a spotlight shining down on them.

The windows were all dark, and although Caroline knew that her parents would be long asleep she still worried that someone would catch the two of them together. They crept around the side of the house and halted beneath Caroline's window. They kissed goodnight in the shine of the silver moon above them before Caroline climbed up the rose trellis beneath her window and climbed into her house.

…

The next monday was the first day of school. The sun had barely risen by the time that Klaus had gotten out of bed and into his shower. He could hear his siblings running about the house, rushing to get ready for school that morning. He walked down the creaky stairs and into the kitchen. Rebekah was standing at the counter, digging through her bag looking flustered and Kol and Henrik rushed about around her.

It took nearly half an hour to get all four of the Mikaelson siblings ready and out the door. They piled into their separate cars. Kol riding with Nik, and Rebekah detouring out of the way to drop Henrik off at mystic fall middle school. Kol chatted mindlessly to his brother as they drove across the small town to the equally as small high school.

" I can't tell you how happy i am not to be wearing a tie to school. Honestly what was the point of-" Kol continued speaking but Klaus had long since stopped listening. His mind was focused on the prospect of the day ahead of him.

This was his first last day of high school. He was ready to start his senior year and move onto whatever else life had in store for him. This was the last year he'd be living under his parents thumb. Next fall he'd be moving out of his parents house and into a dorm somewhere. Somewhere hopefully far away. His parents were experts at running off his siblings. His eldest brother Finn worked in Berlin, and his other brother Elijah was completing his business degree at Wharton. They only ever came home for Christmas and even then they never stayed for the whole break.

The only thing Klaus dreaded was leaving his remaining siblings behind. He tried to reassure himself that Rebekah and Kol, separated in age by only ten months, would be graduating the next year, but felt a pang of guilt for leaving Henrik on his own. He was lucky that the youngest boy had always been his parents favourite.

Klaus pulled his car into one of the park spots in the student lot of Mystic Falls high school. Several students were milling around between the cars, greeting their friends and comparing class schedules. Klaus and Kol climbed out of the car and looked across the lot. 30 yards away, Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes and the Gilbert girls were all piling out of a slate grey crossover.

The two boys jumped as an accusatory voice sounded over their shoulders.

"And what exactly are you two gawking at?" They twisted around to see their sister standing behind them with her arms crossed, glaring them down. Luckily for Nik, Kol responded before he had the chance to.

" Oh stuff it Bekah." She rolled her eyes at her slightly younger brother.

"You're not still hung up on the Bennett girl are you?" Rebekah pushed, glancing over Kol's shoulder quickly to where Bonnie stood with her friends.

"That" Kol began, poking his finger hard into his sister's shoulder.

"Really isn't any of your business, now is it?" Rebekah pushed past her brothers and strode confidently into the school.

…

Caroline noticed Nik throwing her at glance from the other side of the parking lot. She blushed pushing her hair behind her ear and turned back to her friends, trying to follow their conversation.

"Seriously Elena, if you keep on pouting i'm going to stab you in throat." Katherine threatened her sister, flipping her long mane of curly brown hair over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Bonnie piped up coming to her friends defense.

"Let her be. She's heartbroken." Katherine rolled her eye's.

" Oh please! Damon's at Duke. That's like two hours away! He can come home all the time!" Katherine exclaimed clearly already frustrated with the conversation.

" Going from seeing someone every day to every other weekend is a big adjustment! Give her time kat!" Bonnie stated, fighting Elena's battle for her. Elena pushed her hair away from her face and sighed.

"Kat's probably right. I need to pull my shit together. Nobody like's the clingy girlfriend back home." Elena stated pulling her bag higher onto her shoulder.

" Halleluiah!" Kat stated, linking one of her arms through her sisters and another through Caroline's and pulling them towards the entrance of the school.

"Now let's go before we're late. Starting Senior year with a detention is not on my agenda."

…

Caroline stood at her locker, piling her books inside and hooking her sweater inside. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone approaching from her left. The figure stopped at the locker next to hers, twisted the lock and pulled open the door. Caroline looked to her left, expecting to see Vicki Donovan her locker neighbour for the previous three years, but was shocked to find Nik unloading his items into the vacant locker. Caroline let out a surprised laugh, turned back to face the inside of her own locker as she spoke.

" What a coincidence." She joked, organizing her books in order of subject. Nik smiled to himself as he spoke.

" I know what you're thinking but i haven't done away with the Donovan girl. She approached me actually. Apparently my original locker was prime real estate. Right across from the girls bathroom you know." Caroline smirked as she closed her locker and leaned her back against it, her book pressed to her chest, looking down the hallway as if she was waiting for someone else to come along.

" Did you hear about the falls party tonight?" She asked casually, waving to one of her friends from the team as they walked by.

" A party on a school night?" Klaus asked amused, still facing into his locker.

" It's a back to school tradition." Caroline defended. Pulling out her phone and pretending to be occupied by a text message.

" There's certainly abundant opportunities for underage drinking here." He joked. Pulling out his book and moving to close his locker door.

"It's a small town. We don't really have anything else to do." Caroline stated, digging in her bag for something. Klaus moved to walk past her down the hallway towards his next class.

"Well then i guess i'll see you there." He said and walked down the hall. Caroline smirked to herself.

" I guess so."


	6. The Falls

**I am so distracted. I can not write. I want to write. Help.**

Chapter 6: The falls

Music blared through the speakers in Caroline's bedroom, as Katherine turned up the volume and danced around the room. Bonnie was sitting on the hardwood floor at the foot of the bed, painting her toes a vibrant red colour, screwing her face up in concentration. Caroline had just emerged from her bathroom to see Elena flop down onto the feathery bed and curl onto her side.

"Do we really have to go tonight?" Elena asked let out a huff of a breath. Katherine turned down the music and stared at her sister in disbelief.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just say that. The falls party is a tradition.." Katherine said, rolling her eyes at Elena, grabbing the bottle of vodka off Caroline's dresser, un screwing the cap and taking a shot straight from the bottle. Elena sat up looking flustered.

" I'm sorry i just don't see the point in going, i'm not in the mood." Elena said defending herself, pulling a pillow to her chest and hugging it against her.

"Elena!" Bonnie and Caroline began but Katherine cut her off.

" Len i get your sad or whatever but just because Damon's not going to be there doesn't mean you should miss out." Katherine deadpanned staring her sister down.

" Yeah," Caroline chimed in.

"We're seniors! This is our last back to school falls party you can't not go!" Care exclaimed walking across the room and sitting down on her bed next to her friend.

" I mean look at Caroline!" Kat exclaimed, gesturing to her friend with the Vodka bottle.

" She goes to parties all the time with no one to shove their tongue down her throat and she's fine." Caroline glared at Kat, but then cracked a smile. She wished she could see the look on her friends faces if they knew what she had been up to at the past few parties. Caroline grabbed the Vodka out of Kat's hands and down a shot, letting the burn seer her mouth. Caroline thought again how lucky she was that her parents were out of town for the next few days, and she and her friends could pregame without fear of being judged or chastised by her parents.

"Elena, You're coming. You don't have to drink, or have any fun. But you're coming. I'll even be so generous as to let you DD. Go ahead. Thank me." Katherine said, laying down across the bed crushing her sister's legs in the process.

The rest of evening turned to night, and the friends piled into the black crossover parked in the driveway, Elena in the drivers seat. It was just past 9 pm and as the rest of Mystic falls was preparing to go asleep, almost the entire high school student body was climbing into their friends cars and making their way to the falls.

Elena had one hand rested against the steering wheel, as katherine sat in the front seat with her feet up on the car's dashboard as the car flew through the streets of the sleepy town. Bonnie and Caroline were lounging in the back seat, feeling warm and buzzed from what they had already drunk. The mostly empty bottle was sitting on the seat between them, and there was a cooler of drinks in the back, but rumour had it that Tyler Lockwood had put up the funding for a few kegs.

As the car turned the corner out of town and there was nothing but road ahead of them, Katherine reached forward and cranked up the music, and rolled down the windows of the car.

Caroline could feel the bass beating through her body, making her heart vibrate. She leaned her head out the window and let the air sting her eyes as the wind whipped through her hair. She couldn't help but let out a laugh. She had been waiting her whole high school career for this night, to be a senior at a falls party, and at every party that year. This was her and her friends time to be the head of house, and top of the heap. But that wasn't what was making Carolines stomach flutter, or her heart leap in her chest.

Caroline loved secrets. Every since she was a little girl she had craved to have one hidden in her back pocket at all times. She wouldn't call herself a liar. But she had definitely evaded the truth in the past. There was just something about ducking behind walls and peeking around corners that sent a thrill down her spine, even if it was only about snatching extra cookies from the kitchen when she was twelve.

But this was different, it was about more than having a secret in her back pocket to play with when she was bored. Sure Caroline had done things to defy her parents before. Lots of things actually. She wore the wrong clothes, and talked back to her mother. In fact just by being in Elena's car on the way to the party was breaking about six of her parents rules.

But Nik wasn't about making her parents mad . If he was she would just make out with him in the middle of the town square for everyone to see, not in dark secluded corners. No, this is about him, them. Together. About the way she felt when she was around him. It was like being around a best friend. A friend who happened to set her skin on fire everytime he touched it.

Caroline shook that thought from her head and sat back against her seat, rolling up her window and smoothing down her hair. They had turned the corner onto a dirt road, and the car rocked from side to side as its wheels fell on the uneven road. The road twisted through the trees water droplets falling onto the car's paint from the rainfall the night before. They drove for who knows how long, and then suddenly the road split open into a packed dirt parking lot where dozens of cars were parked side by side.

Elena brought the car to a halt and Katherine had flung open her door and jumped out before the key was out of the ignition. The rest of the doors slammed shut as everyone else climbed out of the car. Katherine fluffed her hair in the car window reflection and turned to her friends, snatching the vodka bottle out of Caroline hands and walking forward towards the noise of the party

"Let's do this."

…

A fire roared in the center of the party, as sophomore boys chucked gasoline on the flames, laughing as the fire shot up into the air. People were milling around the run down picnic tables, and shouting over the music that was blaring from someone's portable speakers.

Caroline waived through the trees following her friends into the party, dragging Elena along by her heels. Nearly the whole school had turned up in the woods. The freshmen that were confident to take on the challenge, at little more than half the sophomores, and every junior and senior student.

Foamy beer was being poured from kegs that sat in ice water baths in garbage cans and people milled around growing drunker, not thinking of their 8 am classes the next morning.

… _.._

Caroline had seen Nik a few times in the crowd, talking to their classmates and his siblings, exchanging glances with her. Caroline looked down at her watch, squinting at the time through the darkness and the fog of her buzz.

It was nearly 11 by the time that Caroline felt safe to sneak off into the denser trees and to the trail that lead to the bridge by the falls.

… _._

They stood on the bridge, his arms wrapped around her as they watched the water flow down the falls in front of them.

They talked about their day. About the lecture her parents gave her before they left that morning, and their days at school. They had one shared class, Biology, but despite the fact that they were seniors, a seating chart meant that they sat on opposite sides of the room from each other.

…

 _Alright_ Caroline thought as she leaned back against a tree trunk with Nik's lips pressed against her throat.

 _Maybe trees were their thing._

It was just past midnight, and although they were far back in the trees, Klaus and Caroline could still hear the sounds of the party in the distance. There was a rustling nearby and Caroline pushed Nik away and peered around the tree to see who was approaching. A flashlight caught her face and she darted back, hiding behind the tree again. Someone giggled nearby, and then the almost silence around them was broken when a junior girl shouted out in their direction.

" No glove no love!" Caroline's face turned bright red and Klaus began to laugh. Suddenly another voice broke the silence.

"Care?"

"Shit" Caroline muttered as her heart dropped.

"What?" Klaus asked moving forward to press his lips to her neck again.

"Caroline!" The voice was louder and coming closer.

"No. Stop. It's Elena." Caroline stated, peering around the tree.

"So?" Klaus asked, confused.

"I have to go out there." She said, trying to move out of Klaus's arms.

"What. Why?" Caroline rolled her eyes, her pace quickening as she heard Elena walked closer to their general direction.

"She's sober. Stone cold. Which means that she isn't going to get distracted and stop looking. So either i go out there, or she's gonna come here. So stay. Don't come out until we're gone." She ducked under his arm and stumbled out into the woods, suddenly very aware of how much she had had to drink.

"Hey elena." She said. Elena who was a good 30 feet away and walking in the wrong direction, spun around.

"There you are!" Elena's eyes narrowed as she walked to meet her friend.

'What were you doing back there?" she asked peering over Caroline's shoulder.

" uh, you know i lost the back to earring. So i was just looking for it." Caroline invented.

" Care you're not wearing earrings." Elena pointed out. Caroline bite her lip.

" Yeah i lost those too." She was drunk. and she sounded drunk. She hoped Elena would buy that and not wonder what else was going on with her friend.

"But enough about me. What's going on?" Caroline asked. Elena linked her arm' through Carolines and they began to walk back to the party together.

" I have a problem, and It's not a small problem, i need help." Elena stated, helping Caroline over a fallen log.

"What is it?" Care asked as the lights of the party grew closer.

" Um, it's Stefan." Elena said hesitantly. Caroline stopped in her tracks and looked at her friend.

"Stefan?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he's drunk. Really 's been hanging around me all night. And i just thought he was being friendly but um but i'm pretty sure he was hitting on me and i'm also pretty sure he just tried to kiss me." Caroline's eyes widened.

"What do you mean you think he tried to kiss you? Wouldn't it be obvious?" Caroline asked. Elena sighed heavily

" I don't know. I mean he came in for a hug, but then he was leaned down a lot and his lips were, yeah, so i kind of dodged and he caught the side of my head, but still." They had reached the outskirts of the party and had plopped down on one of the makeshift log benches.

"I mean what do i do? Do i tell Damon? But i mean how do you tell your boyfriend that the second he left for college his brother tried to hook up with his girlfriend? That's not an easy conversation." Elena rambled on. Caroline rested her head on her friend's shoulder and listened to her talk. Across the party she saw Klaus emerge from the far side of the woods. He caught her eye and smirk


	7. Next Morning

Chapter 7: Next morning

" Your toes are literally wedged into my spine, and you've been stealing the sheets all night" Katherine complained, flipping over in bed and trying to untangle herself from Bonnie and Caroline limbs.

"You're in my bed!" Caroline defended, trying to sit up in bed and feeling the waves of her hangover hit her.

They hadn't gotten home from the party until nearly two am the night before, and it was just barely 6:30 now and they all needed to haul their asses out of bed and get ready for school.

Elena bounded into Caroline's room, bright eyed and bushy tailed, having slept soundly in the guest room rather than falling into a drunken heap on Caroline bed like the rest of her friends. Elena was freshly showered and dressed, clearly enjoying the advantages of not having been drinking the night before.

"Rise and shine" Elena said cheerly, walking over to the windows and pulling open the certain so the early morning sun could reach the room.

The three girls in the bed groaned and hunkered down deeper into Caroline's comforter.

" Pull yourselves together and get your asses downstairs. I made breakfast." Elena stated turning to leave the room.

Bonnie, Caroline and Katherine dragged themselves out of bed and towards the showers. While Bonnie and Kat fought over the shower in Caroline's bathroom, while Care herself made the trip down the hallway to her parents bathroom.

When Caroline made it downstairs she found Katherine sitting at the kitchen table, her hair up in a pony tail due to her lack of shower, pouting. Bonnie had clearly won the fight over the shower.

Caroline took a seat at the table and happily accepted the cup of black coffee Elena places down in front of her. Bonnie sat down a few minutes later, just as Elena was placing down healy plates of plain toast and greasy eggs, bacon and cheese.

" The perfect hangover cure." Elena promised as she watched her friends shovel the meal into their mouths. Katherine was rubbing her eyes as she mopped up the grease on her plate with more toast and then pointed at her sister with her fork,

"Now was i that drunk last night or did i see you and Stefan hook up?"

The blood all drained from Elena's face, but she quickly pulled herself together and answered.

" A: You were that drunk, but B: what you saw was Stefan trying to hook up with me, and then me spending the rest of the party having an existential crisis." Elena corrected her sister, and stared down at her eggs.

"Well that's awkward. But i mean you had to have seen that coming. It so obviously that Stefan's had a crush on you forever, and now that Damon's out of the picture…" Katherine drifted off, looking amused at the look of horror on her sister's face.

"Damon is not out of the picture! And did everybody know that stefan had a crush on me because i certainly didn't!" Elena looked around the table at her friends and found that none of them would meet her eye. Elena huffed,

"What am i going to do? I mean i have to tell Damon right? I want to tell him in person, but he isn't going to be home until the end of the month, and i can't tell him over the phone but i can't talk to him on the phone and not tell him that would be lying, right? And what if someone else tells lhim? What if stefan tells him? What if Stefan tells him something that didn't actually happen. Oh my god." Elena's head fell to the table.

Katherine rolled her eyes as she spoke.

" It doesn't really matter how you tell him, just tell him. The sooner. The better. Hell i'll pretend to be you on the phone if you want. It always works for Doctors appointments."

…...

It was just after 8 when the Gilberts SUV came squealing into the mystic high parking lot. Elena parked the car neatly between a muddy jeep and a risen pick up truck. The girls climbed out of the car and glanced around at the people milling around them. While Elena appeared put together, with her sleek straight hair and freshly pressed blouse, the others were still very much feeling their actions from the night before. They stumbled out of the car in their holey and ripped up shorts and jeans with old athletic team t-shirts and oversized darkly tinted sunglasses. They all clutched massive black coffees from the drive thru place on the way to school, and felt as if they may vomit at any given step. While the breakfast elena had made certainly aided in their recovery, there was only so much greasy bread could do against the massive amount of vodka they had poured down their throats.

Most of the student population in the parking lot looked very similar to the rest of them. All the teachers knew not to bother much about teaching the day after the falls party as all of their students were basically incapacitated.

Boys were walking towards the school in the same dirty sneakers they had worn to the party the night before, while girls had their hair piled in messy buns on top of their heads, and border line pajama shorts.

"Administration should really just cancel school the day after the falls party." Katherine stated as they walked into the school and saw Solane vomit into the bushes by the doors to the gym.

" It's not like anyone gets any learning down." But Caroline had stopped listening. Klaus and his siblings had just pulled up in their separate cars and were making their way towards the school. While the evidence of the party was clear in kols sloppy bed head and tired eyes, as well as rebekah's pale skins and holey sweatshirt, Nik looked almost completely unphased.

Caroline had her head in her locker, her head leaning against the cool shelf, wondering if anyone would notice if she skipped her first few classes to sleep on one of the couches in the student common area.

"Rough night?" Klaus whispered in her ear before turning the combination on his lock and pulling open the door to his own locker.

"Well somebody got me drunk" Caroline said into her locker.

"Well in my memory somebody turned up drunk, and continued to drink with only mild encouragement." Nik joked, and Caroline rolled her eyes, turning her cheek against her locker shelf to look at Klaus.

"How are you not dying like the rest of us?" She pressed, looking at him with only slight amazement.

" Well i seem to be the only one at this school who can handle my liquor. " He joked, facing into his locker and pretending to re arrange his books.

"Will you have recovered by the end of the day?" Klaus asked, pulling out the book he needed and beginning to close his locker.

" Why?" Caroline asked, pulling herself away from her open locker and looking to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.

"What did you have in mind?", but Klaus just smirked at her, and turned to walk down the hallway.

…

Kol was standing at his brothers car after school, yanking absentmindedly on the passenger door handle and waiting for his brother to arrive and unlock the door.

Nik bounded out of the school, slinging his bag over his back and heading towards his car.

" You're getting a ride with Rebekah today." Klaus told his brother and unlocked his door individually rather than using the FOB to unlock all the cars door.

"Why?" Kol pressed, yanking on the door with a whine in her voice.

" I've got stuff to do." NIk stated, climbing into his sit and starting the car's engine.

"Like what?" Kol demanded, but Klaus had already started the car and driven away, leaving his brother in the dust.

Klaus pulled up to a street several blocks down from Caroline home where she had texted him to meet her. Although Caroline's parents were still out of town, she hadn't wanted to risk Nik meeting her on her street incase one of her neighbour ratted her out to her parents.

When he arrived, Caroline was sitting casually on a bus bench, and stood up eagerly when she saw him coming.

As he pulled up to the curb he reached over and pushed open his passenger side door for her.

She climbed in, folding her long tanned legs into the space before the front seat. She pulled on her seat belt and clicked it into place.

"So" she began turned to look at him as he pressed his foot to the gas and pushed the car forward.

"Where are we going?" Caroline finished. Klaus glanced over at her, smirking.

"You'll see."


	8. College Decisions

Our Little Secret chapter 8: College Decisions

The late afternoon sun beat down through the tree branches of the trees above the mystic county campground. The site sat approximately fifteen miles outside the limits of Mystic falls itself. The campground was small and slightly rundown but at this time of year perfectly secluded. It was only in use from late june to the end of August. After those dates the area was abandoned until the next season. Although the ground was dusty and the air was hot, Caroline couldn't think of a more perfect place to be. Wild flowers bloomed in the overgrown grass around the sites, and although the Magnolia trees weren't in bloom large branches still loomed over the camp casting the perfect amount of shade.

Caroline was lounging across the top of the least splintering picnic table, her face to the sky, letting the sun soak into her skin. Before Klaus had picked her up a few blocks from her home she had changed from the ratty oversized t shirt and athletic shorts she'd worn to school, to her favorite denim shorts and pale pink peasant top. Her hangover from the morning had effectively melted away, leaving behind only a few traces of exhaustion. The sun floated behind a cloud, effectively throwing Caroline into a cool shade. She groaned slightly, and pulled her sunglasses off of her face.

"Come back" She muttered to the sky, sitting up on her elbows and letting out a huff. Klaus was sitting backwards on the picnic table bench, with his legs stretched out before him. His elbows were rested back against the top of the table, and he twisted his body to look at Caroline as she spoke.

" I think its sign" Caroline continued, pushing her sunglasses to the top on her head.

"My parents are coming back tonight, and the sun's going into hiding, along with all of my happiness." Klaus let out a short laugh.

"Well in that case look out for the thunderstorm that'll roll into town as soon as my father arrives home." Caroline laughed as well, as Nik continued to speak.

" So i guess if your parents are coming home you'll want to be dropped off on the other side of city." Klaus quip, Caroline rolled her eyes and added to the joke.

" To be on the safe side you should also probably pick me up three towns over from now on."

" I know i don't have much right to ask seeing as both both my mother and father are about a nine on the psycho scale," Klaus began watching as Caroline ran her fingers through her hair.

" but what exactly am i getting myself into with your parents? Will i become a missing person if they find out that we've so much as kissed." Caroline rolled her eyes and started to smile.

" It's not even that they're so crazy in the classical sense of the word. They're just so controlling in every single aspect of my life. They really just wanted me to stay a living doll for forever. They always picked my friends, and my activities. Until i was 14, my dad picked out what i wore to school every day. I turn 18 next month, and despite the fact that i'll technically be an adult, they will still be making all of my choices for at least the next five years. Where i apply to college, where i go to college, my major, what colour my prom dress is. Oh and let's see, um my college roommate will be assigned, they can't control that, but i'm sure my mother will be doing a background check on them, and then will interrogate her within an inch of her life to the point where she will be so frightened that she'll agree to buy the matching duvet covers for our beds, which will be of my father's choosing." Klaus let out a snort.

"I'm serious" Caroline defended, shoving against Niks shoulder.

" My life is steered purely in the direction of my parents choosing." Klaus narrowed his eyes as he watched her.

" And what direction would that be?" He asked.

" Well-" Caroline began sitting up straighter as she spoke.

" All the colleges i'll be applying to will have to be within a two hour drive away so that i can be home, any and all weekends. Approved schools include, University of Richmond, University of Virginia, Whitmore, University of Maryland, Georgetown, and college of William and Mary. Of all of those my parents would rank them based on which ones under an hour away."

"They're all good schools." Klaus stated, watching Caroline closely.

"Yeah for someone, but my parents have not taken into consideration anything that i want. What programs interest me, or would help me get a leg up on a career path. And! And despite the fact that my mother is a career women, my father has poisoned her brain enough to the point where they are still living in the 1950's and think i'm going to college to get an MRS degree." Klaus let out a snort of laughter at her words.

" It's not funny!" She said falling backwards onto picnic table again.

" No, i'm sorry, i'm sorry, it's not." He said still laughing slightly. Caroline rolled her eyes at him.

" Where do you want to go to school?" Nik asked.

" I have a list as long as my arm, the closest school 300 miles away, and the furthest, almost three thousand . Not that that'll happen, my parents won't even talk about me going to school in Pennsylvania, let alone somewhere like California. " Caroline turns her head to look at Klaus.

"What about you? Are your parents campaigning for you to go to their alma maters?" She asked, turning off her back and onto her stomach, leaning up against her elbows.

" All my parents care about is the family name. So as long as i pick some school with a flashy name, and not some B list community college it'll be fine. Elijah's at Warton tho, and i doubt i'll live up to those standards."

Caroline smirked as she watched him.

" So what? An ivy leagues in your future? Harvard? Brown? You kind of look like a Princeton man. Orange could be your colour." She joked, only half serious. He joined in with her soft laughter.

" My hearts more set somewhere more south. I've been looking at Tulane." He finished, breaking his gaze from hers and looking at his hands as he continued to speak.

" Part of my mothers family used to live in New Orleans and i always loved visiting. There's an art history program that-" Klaus stopped speaking when he looked up again and saw the mischievous grin on Caroline's face. She had pulled her bag onto her lap and had pulled a thick stack of glossy brochures from the bottom. Some of the pages of the pamphlets were beaten back and wrinkled from being hidden at the bottom of her bag. Caroline spread the brochures across the picnic table top, her hand resting on one of them. There were advertisements from NYU, Berkley, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Emory , and lastly, the brochure her hand was resting on, Tulane.

" It's in my top five." Caroline stated, running her hands over the glossy pages of the brochures. "Not that my ranking system means much. I'd kill to go to any of these schools. But sadly none are parent approved."

" You should apply." Klaus said, as if the words meant nothing at all.

" What's the point? I'd never get to go." She said, biting the inside of her lip in frustration.

" Just apply. It's not going to hurt anything." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her. She leaned forward so that from where she was sitting on the top of the picnic table her face was beside his where he sat on the picnic bench.

" You're just trying to get me in more trouble." She said, their mouths close enough to each others that if they moved their faces even slightly they'd be kissing. Klaus moved his hand to play with the string holding up the lace up front of her blouse. As the material loosened around her neck, Nik leaned forward and connected their lips.

" I can think of far better ways to do that." Klaus stated against her mouth.


End file.
